A VERY special person descended at New Delhi's Nirmal Dham the other day to shower her blessings. To felicitate Her Holiness, Mataji Nirmala Devi, on her 80th birthday yogis gathered to honour this seer for her tireless work spanning across 33 years in nearly 100 countries. The yogis had come not only from every nook and corner of the country but also from across the world. Not only those immersed into spirituality were present but also politicians, civil servants and people from different walks of life collected to catch a glimpse of the venerated Mother and seek her blessings.

An erudite speaker, Mataji Nirmala Devi is the founder and director of Sahaja Yoga or Vishwa Nirmala Dharma, an established Non-Governmental Organisation operating in many countries. For her selfless work and spiritual teachings she has been recognised worldwide by several renowned institutions. In 1993, she was appointed as honorary member of the Presidium of Petrovskaya Academy of Art and Science. One year after that she was presented with the key to the Brazilian Capital. In 1995 the Indian dispensation gave her a one-hour prime time television series. Even the Chinese Government invited her to speak at the International Women's Conference in Beijing.

On the occasion the Deputy Prime Minister, L.K.Advani said, "Unlike contributions in spheres such as education, which affects only a section of the society normally within the national boundary, contributions in the sphere of spirituality cut across national boundaries."

Gregoire, a leader from Switzerland, mentioned her methodology on self -transformation and creating consciousness that leads to a happy and blissful life. Dr. Wells from the United Kingdom acknowledged the fact that she taught him and numerous followers the technique for overcoming anxiety normally associated with "human level consciousness." Debu Choudhary, one of the doyens of the music world, opined that as music was meditation, it was a route to get closer to Mataji Nirmala Devi.

Born into a Christian family of Prasad and Cornelia Salve, at Chinndwara in Madhya Pradesh, Mataji Nirmala Devi, then only Nirmala, lived with her parents in Mahatma Gandhi's ashram. Her father - a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi - was a renowned scholar, who translated the Quran into Marathi. Her mother was the first woman to receive an honours degree in Mathematics. Actively involved in the freedom struggle to oust the British, Mataji Nirmala Devi participated at the historic Quit India Movement. Consequently, she was imprisoned along with other freedom fighters. She married C.P. Srivastava, one of India's best civil servants, who was conferred knighthood by the Queen of England. Later on, she came to know through self-realisation that she had a unique gift which had to made available to all humankind.

On the occasion, she said, "Most of the problems that emanate in the society today can be traced to the mind that is not fully developed.' She also urged people to apply themselves in the emancipation of humankind.